Folding toothbrush and container therefor



April 11, 1950 T. R. sTAcEY ETAL.

FOLDING TOOTHBRUSH AND CONTAINER THEREF'OR Filed April 26, 194e IHILPatented Apr. l1, 1950 t FQLDLINGLTDD'THBRUSILAND CONTAINER l "THEREFDR-Te'd ReSrtacei/taax-idiloy H.:Lesner,i(lhicago,lill., nf assignorsebyinesne` alssignmentso ,to Totebrush, findencorporaltnmf Illinois i'lihisinvention a:` relates tto irxoothbrushes, iand 'particularly folto trarfoldingfLtocithl'lrush :rcornbind 'with a, `receptacle to receivethetolthbrush in .ioldedntcondition;'thefessemblyzben gsmllendcompactaridi` henceradaptedifor: use: yytravelers 'and scthersftowiwhomwcompactnessaand 'ease' of .sportialollity` are .important f:considerations.

fOne .wprincipal object :not `:the l invention :fis tto iprovlde "a, ffolding toothbrush 'zzhavin'g fifa, :handle portiontendra?ibrushxportion Ifoldable @with :re- `specti.ltoione`another,iiandinovelemeansfor locking?J the' Vportions ine extended*p'o'sitiomiWherebrazol :brushhaving wsubste ntiaillyfthel."samer`rigidityrL-as 1a. iconvention'alr toothbrush l results ,n suchazrneansfincludingfimembers slidble iwith= respectvto the ifhandlewportionif andengageble'ioverrtwo `opposed Idees ofY the brushzportion.

' AAnother f 'objecti isflto i lprovideeai folding?J `tooth-v brush'having f ai handle @portioni and allbrushwportion hinged together andincluding a, latchtfor loclzingftlie @parts in extended, li. te..`ioperetive, lpos'itionithey actuating `aperti of'rtheilatchhbeingsoformed asltoiconstitute e; convenient=zand comifort able-fp art. ofthe han die.

1"`;Sti1l tanotherfr object 'is l@ toothbrush as :aforesaid: and:afcasef-therfonithe Llatter shaving `portsysnuglytting'ztheffoldedibrush tor prevent :iforeign-:matterrvfrommcontamineting the -rbrush, the .bris"tles`ivvherec'af are sfaconcea'led "within the oase.

Afu'rther object isto provides atoldingxltooth- :fbrush endroits@` lasaforesaid; thexcaseihavingm ,flosed spece ftherein'lfto receivers.Vpowdered-i dentifriceiorf wntainer 1thereof,t: Lthe:siteceivbengi` ac--'cessible'f by means-sofi a du'stprodffclosure.

"'Other objects will 'z appear :asia-,theedescription @proceeds ftheytoothbrush 1in-partially fuiolded'iposition;the

formi of'iscase.

-`and` yI 2 mayfbe liiolcledsinto thencompact'lforntin- :dicated infdottediflines :in Figi; 2.

To :maintain operative:` alignmentof aparts ff I' I and I2,'fthereisaprovidedl: latclrimeans including a pad 2;I ,'rarnger 22,-rendi:alsex-'ew` 23, allfslidable zasaa,runtwth'respect..tozfbodyzportlonf I 5. '.ifFinger `2 2 is: preferably of,'stainless'steel for? strengthI and resistancertor. rusting, and'y is"slidabletzinr aligned and is threaded therenttherrhedoftherscrew benoted i thatf-byzsinking thefngerfnWithin the recess@ 24,;amush'isurface; is' provided oxrithe rearflface fof tithe :unfolded brush,andvwiththis 'the 'absence vfof objectionableprojectionsy f whichwouldiprovef:uncon'lfortable'lto: the :usen f More- 'over -it istofbe-:noted I that theiatch operating* `Ddd is curvilinear fion .zut:exterior "face'iato fit :Scomifortablywwithin' th fnggersr the-:.user.#To-atefford'zclearanceazf their'slfninl offxthe-fscrewltheLlongitudnliyf lottedzteataialamdlitsc/m'cmrenmntltd:flocking-positionmwoldxitttketup a positionintermediate the pivot and the bottom of the recess 24 thereby tosupplement the locking action by restraining tendency of the latch tobend upon application of excessive force by the user.

Accordingly, when pad 2| is to the right, as seen in -'=Fig. y7, the padand nger 22 lie against opposite faces of the brush portion I3 to retainthe same in extended position with respect to the handle portion I2; andwhen pad 2| is moved to the left, the pad and finger are freed fromengagement with portion I3 to permit the latter to be folded abouthandle portion I5 and into the position of Fig. 2. If desired, the outerconvex face of pad 2I may be corrugated or knurled for more positiveengagement by the fingers.

One of the outstanding advantages of the instant construction resides inutilizing both the latch and the latch operating pad to render theunfolded brush rigid while in use. Thus, referring to Fig. '7- it isnoted that the finger 22 and pad 2l, when in locking position; embracebetween them the brush portion I3, and by careful fitting of the parts,i. e., providing minimum sliding clearance, the brush portion I3 may bemade quite rigid with respect to the handle portion I5.

The case (Figs. 2 and 4) for receiving the folded brush and thedentifrice comprises a boxlike housing,l preferably of molded plasticcomposition, having side walls 4I, a bottom wall 42, atop wall 43, -afront wall 44, and a rear wall 45. Side' walls 4I and front wall 44extend upwardly beyond wall 43 to provide with the same a compartmentinto which the folded brush may be 1 snugly fitted (Figs. 2 and 3). Byallowing the hinged connection to protrude beyond the wall 45, manualengagement of the brush for removal thereof from the case isfacilitated. In order to receive the bristles I4 of the brush, wall 43is offset for a portion of its length (Fig. 2) and wall 44 is extendedupwardly to meet handle portion I5 whereby the bristles are confined ina space which is closed except for the Ventilating perforations 45 inywalls 4I whereby consequent drying of the damp bristles may beaccelerated.

`To secure the brush more rmly intermediate the walls 4 I, the lattermay be provided With shallow depressions 41 with which correspondingprotrusions 48 (Fig. 6) on the handle portion I5 may engage, theinherent elasticity of the walls 4I permitting such engagement andsubsequent easy disengagement. f Itis to be noted particularly from Fig.2 tha when the brush is in assembled position, the

ears II-I and I'I-II protrude beyond the side walls 4 I--4I therebyproviding a handle orngerpiece for dislodgment of the brush from itscom'- partment when it is to be removed for use.

Walls 4I, 42, 44, and 45 together dene a compartment 5I for thereception of powdered or liquid dentifrice, access to such compartmentbeing by way of a knurled screw plug 52 threadedly inserted in anaperture -53 in wall 44.

vAs an alternative form of case, the embodiment of Fig. 10 maybeprovided. In so far as the relationship of the folded brush and case areconcerned, the description hereinbefore is deemed suicient. However, foruse by those Awho prefer paste dentifrice in a tube, the front wall 44is modified as shown. Thus the walls 4I are grooved at ISI- 6I toreceive the corresponding tongues B2 of the sliding closure 63, thelatter forming with the walls 4I, 42, 43, and 45 a compartment 64 forthe reception of a tube of denti- 4 frice 65. A recess 6G in the outerface of the closure 63 permits engagement by a, nger to slide theclosure from closed to open position for removal and insertion of thetube 65 in the compartment 64. When closure 63 is moved to closingposition, an integral projection 61 therein will abut wall 43 to limitmovement there-of, and when closure B3 is moved to open position, theinwardly curved extremity 68 will abut the wall `43 to limit movement inthat direction. It will be understood that projection 61 will beassembled with closure 53 after the latter has been engaged with thegrooves 6I.

While we have shown particular embodiments of our invention, it will beunderstood, of course, that we do not wish to be limited thereto sincemany modifications may be made, and we therefore contemplate by theappended claims to cover any'such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus' described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A folding toothbrush or the like and a receptacle therefor, thereceptacle comprising `a body having a dentifrice-holding chamber and abrush-receiving compartment, the body having side Walls, end walls andtop and bottom walls, the side walls being extended beyond said top wallto dene said compartment, the toothbrush including a brush part and ahandle part and hinge means interconnecting said parts to enable saidbrush to be folded for insertion in said compartment, the said sidewalls having pro- `iections extending interiorly thereof, and at leastone of said brush parts having depressions adapted -to be engaged bysaid projections, the said extended portions of said side walls beingcomprised of resilient material to facilitate engagement'of saidprojections with said depressions.

2. A foldingtoothbrush or the like and a receptacle therefor, thereceptacle comprising a body havingy a pair of side walls, a pair` ofend walls, a bottom wall and a partition wall spaced below the top ofthe side walls to dene With the side walls, end walls and bottom Wall adentifricereceiving chamber, said chamber having an aperture and aclosure therefor for access to the ln'- terior thereof, the extension`of said side walls beyond said partition wall forming a brush-receivingcompartment, said brush including a brush part and a handle part andhinge means interconnecting said parts to enable said brush to be foldedfor insertion in said compartment, the width of said brush being equalto the distance between said extended side walls, and-.said side wallsbeing comprised of resilient material whereby upon assembly of thefolded brush intermediate said side walls frictional engagement ofthebrush results.

3. A.folding toothbrush or the like and a receptacle therefor, thereceptacle comprising a body having a pair of side Walls, a pair of endwalls, a bottom wall, and a partition wall spaced below the top of saidside walls to define a dentifrice-receiving chamber, the extension ofsaid side walls beyond said partition wall forming a brush-receivingcompartment, said brushincluding a brush part and a handle part andhinge means interconnecting said parts to enable said brush to be foldedfor insertion in said compartment, the folded length of said brushbeing-equal to the length of said side walls, and the hinge means, whenthe folded brush is assembled in Y said receptacle, protrudingexteriorly of said side walls to provide a finger piece for removal ofsaid brush from said receptacle, and frictional means common to saidbrush and side Walls for maintaining the folded brush in assembledposition in the compartment.

4. A folding toothbrush or the like and a receptacle therefor, thereceptacle comprising a body having a dentifrice-holding chamber and abrush-receiving compartment, the body havingr side walls, end Walls andtop and bottom walls, the side Walls being extended beyond said top Wallto define said compartment, the toothbrush including a brush part and ahandle part and hinge means interconnecting said parts to enable saidbrush to be folded for insertion in said compartment, the said sideWalls having projections extending interiorly thereof, at least one ofsaid brush parts having depressions adapted to be engaged by saidprojections, the said extended portions of said side walls beingcomprised of resilient material to facilitate engagement of saidprojections with said depressions, the outer surface of the folded brushand the outer edges of the Walls being so constructed and arranged as tobe coterminous and to form one substantially unbroken surface when thebrush is inserted into the compartment.

5. A folding toothbrush or the like and a receptacle therefor, thereceptacle comprising a body having a pair of side walls, a pair of endWalls, a bottom wall and a partition wall spaced below the top of theside Walls to define with the side walls, end walls and bottom wall adenti- Hice-receiving chamber, said chamber having an aperture and aclosure therefor for access to the .brush results, the brush andextended side Walls each being provided with interengagng means forlocking the brush in position in the compartment.

TED R. STACEY. ROY H. LESNER.

REFERENCES CITED The fo11owing references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 846,058 Schmidt Mar. 5, 19071,546,219 Enzer et al July 14, 1925 1,914,240 Caldwell June 13, 19332,111,181 Findley Mar. 15, 1938 2,228,679 Tedesco 1 Jan. 14, 19412,399,660 Boulicault May 7, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date786,811 France Sept. 10. 1935

